Bulletin, Record, Progressive, Reporter Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 1B
SWAT nabs
suspect
Victoria Metcalf
Assistant Editor
vmetcalf@plumasnews.com
"Robbie don't you f--
move!" shouted Plumas County
Sheriff's Deputy Chris Driscoll
as he spotted suspect Robert
Knight lying in the dense brush
adjacent to Beskeen Lane near
Quincy on Friday, Sept. 14,
around 12:30 p.m.
Driscoll and other SWAT
members were narrowing their
search to even smaller areas
north of Spanish Creek
between the east end of
Gansner Park and the popular
summertime swimming areas.
They were attempting to find
Knight's ceil phone when
suddenly Driscoil spotted the
man to his right and
immediately swung his
weapon on him.
Other SWAT members,
including men stationed along
Beskeen Lane, and Commander
Todd Johns rushed in to help
Driscoll capture Knight.
Driscoll could be heard
shouting for Knight to roll over
as officers attempted to roust
him out of his hiding spot
Then father and son, Sgt.
Chad Hermann and Deputy
Tyler Hermann, dressed in
camo gear, marched their
captive toward the road and the
many sheriff's vehicles.
There were many tense
moments while officers made
sure their captive couldn't
escape, harm himseff or an
officer. He was carefully
searched as Tyler Hermann
patted Knight down, removing
his possessions from various
pockets. These items, a lighter,
a hard pack of Marlboro
cigarettes, billfold and other
things were placed on the hood
of the sheriffs unit where
Knight was restrained.
Deputy Tom Klundby, also a
SWAT member, bagged
Knight's possessions and would
drive him to jail. His part in the
search began in the field and
ended up on Beskeen Lane
where hejoined Deputies Rob
Gott and Jesse Leiss in
guarding that section in case
Knight sprang from hiding and
ran.
Deputy Tom Klundby
joined members of SWAT
as they searched a
wooded and heavily
brushed area for an
alleged assailant. Cracking
branches and rustling
could be heard from
around Beskeen Lane in
Quincy as SWAT officers
made their way through
bushes and brush looking
for Robert "Robbie"
Knight on Sept. 14.
Plumas County Corrections
Center Commander Chad
Hermann (left) and his son,
Deputy Tyler Hermann (far
right) joined SWAT
members on the hunt for
Quincy resident Robert
Knight (center) who was
apprehended about 12:30
p.m Friday, Sept. 14. They
were among officers that
spotted Knight in his hiding
place in the brush not far
from Gansner Park in
Quincy.
. i ,:, :
Assault
It was Friday morning, Sept.
14, when Knight allegedly cut a
Quincy area resident in the
face with what is described as a
box cutter near the Gold Pan
Motel.
According to Sheriff Greg
Hagwood, Knight had allegedly
been harassing the woman "for
days if not hours" leading up to
the incident.
The woman's identification
is being withheld until District
Attorney David Hollister has
time to review the case.
Hagwood said that SWAT
members were immediately
mobilized. "I had one deputy on
covering an area from
Beckwourth to the Greenville
Wye," he said regarding how
short-handed the department
was at that time. And this
occurred during a major
incident when a fuel tanker
overturned on Highway 70 near
Keddie, which meant that some
of the sheriffs team had to
drive over Mt. Hough, and
some had just gotten off work at
3 a.m. and were called back.
"I'd also like to give a big
shout out to my dispatch
center," Hagwood said. One
person was on duty when both
incidents occurred, but more
were called in to assist.
The California Highway
Patrol also assisted by sending
a small aircraft to conduct
surveillance, and an officer was
dispatched to the search.
Lt. Kyle Kroll of the
California Department of Fish
and Wildlife was at the scene
when Knight was discovered.
That department also provided
a search dog, which was being
transported from Susanville.
The dog and its handier combed
the search area looking for any
additional evidence.
Officers search
back over the
the capture.
-(i~ : :~ i "
Robert Knight after apprehending him Friday, Sept. 14. Fish and Wildlife went
area with a search dog looking for anything Knight might have dropped before
Photos by Victoria Metcalf
Deputy Jake Vickrey and
Tom Klundby aren't
letting Robert Knight go
anywhere. Klundby
bagged Knight's
possessions as another
SWAT member searched
his pockets.
From left, Sheriff Greg Hagwood and Commander Todd Johns
confer as SWAT members bring in the man who allegedly
slashed a woman with a box cutter earlier in the day.